Gnidovec served as a pastor during World War I as a teacher and was appointed a bishop during a period of tension between Christianity and other faiths.

His cause of canonization commenced on 15 December 1977 under Pope Paul VI, and he was given the title Servant of God when the cause moved to the diocesan level.

Janez Frančišek Gnidovec was born on 29 September 1873 in Slovenia into a poor farming household to devout parents in the village of Veliki Lipovec.

[1] It was with the death of his father that he felt the need to spiritually reflect, and he went to his local priest for advice, eventually coming to the conclusion that he was destined for Holy Orders.

Gnidovec was well liked and respected due to his outstanding knowledge and his personal qualities, and both students and teachers alike looked upon him as an ideal role model.

Gnidovec decided to leave his position in order to enter the Congregation of the Mission - or the Vincentians - and he bid farewell to the staff and students where he was teaching on 6 December 1919.

[1] After the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes in 1918, one of the most important tasks for the Catholic Church in newly formed state was reorganization of dioceses in various southern regions, liberated from Ottoman rule in 1912.

In order to regulate status of Catholic Church, government of the Kingdom of Serbia previously concluded official Concordat with Holy See on 24 June 1914.

Gnidovec also understood the importance of the media in promoting the faith, and it led to the new magazine launch on 25 March 1928 of "Blagovijest" (The Good News).

On 27 March 2010 he was proclaimed to be Venerable after Pope Benedict XVI recognized that he had lived a life of heroic virtue in accordance with the tenets of the Christian faith.

The alleged miracle required for his beatification was investigated on a diocesan level from 13 January 2005 until 24 July 2006, and was granted the decree of validity from the Congregation on 9 June 2007.